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WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, Dec. 31, 2013) – Some villages on American Samoa's main island of Tutuila will soon have their access to a full water service restored, after years of having to boil water before use.

Bans have been in place on the island's western side for four years after the discovery of E-coli bacteria in water drawn from wells.

The executive director of the American Samoa Power Authority, Utu Abe Malae, says because of improvements to the well field at Malaeloa, the agency hopes to lift the boil notice for the Leone to Poloa distribution system within four months.

The water use restriction creates a strain for households, which either buy bottled water, or are forced to spend more on electricity, gas or kerosene, to heat the water.

Our correspondent says a number of households have been ignoring the boil advice.

MAJURO, Marshall Islands (Pacific Daily News, Dec. 30, 2013) – In June, a group of teenagers and young adults with no school or job prospects signed up for the Waan Aelon in Majel (WAM) - translated Canoes of the Marshall Islands - a vocational and life skills training program. In mid-December, they graduated from the intensive training program, and within days the majority of participants were working for local businesses in Majuro.

The WAM program has developed a reputation for producing graduates trained not only in carpentry and other vocational skills, but equipped with life skills that make them employable. With the latest graduation, the Majuro-based program has trained nearly 300 school dropouts over the past 10 years.

"When we first came into the program, many of us had no birth certificates, Social Security numbers, identification cards and most importantly, saving...

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (The National, Dec. 31, 2013) – More than 1,000 illegal miners have reportedly entered the Porgera gold mine site over the past couple of weeks, causing serious concern for Barrick and Papua New Guinea government authorities on the future of the multi-million kina gold project.

Barrick management executives and Mineral Resources Authority (MRA) said after a joint visit to the SML (special mining lease) area last Friday, the problem with the illegal miners had reached a catastrophic level and parties involved in the project needed to address the issue urgently.

MRA coordinator of PJV (Porgera Joint Venture) and Mt Kare exploration project Joe Kak Ryangao said after seeing hundreds of people (illegal miners) flooding into the SML area, including the open pit, stock pile sites and other sensitive company facilities, that he would put together a report for...

APIA, Samoa (Samoa Observer, Dec. 30, 2013) – A year after one of the three most destructive cyclones in the last 100 years, Samoa residents can be forgiven for feeling nervous about another ‘big one.’

But rumours that a cyclone is on the way – with some specifying tomorrow as the day it will hit – are not accurate, according to the Government's weather service.

"There is no cyclone ahead for our country," said Luteru Tauvela, Acting Chief Executive of the Meteorology Division at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

"No strong winds that can be seen are headed towards us, only further south," he said.

"So there is nothing to worry about - everything is great."

At least when it comes to cyclones.

However Mr. Tauvela said there was still cause for caution regarding flooding.

Palusalue said the Officers of Parliament Committee report detailing how WST$339,105.90 [US$143,677] was spent to buy Faumuina a Lexus when he was the Minister of Samoa Land Corporation (SLC) is unacceptable.

The issue was brought to light after the report by the Controller and Chief Auditor, Fuimaono Camillo Afele was leaked and published.

A Parliamentary Select Committee reviewed the claim - among many others – and they found that the Lexus was bought from Corporation funds with a budget of WST$400,000 [US$169,477] for vehicles.

The money was supposed to be for the purchase of two vehicles, one for the Corporation and another for the Minister, at a cost of WST$200,000 [US$84,738] each....

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, Dec. 31, 2013) – Tonga's minister of finance, Lisiate 'Akolo, says the government does not yet have the money to pay a five percent cost of living adjustment, or COLA, for public servants.

The government has agreed to the pay rise, which was cut back from 20 percent after the intervention of the World Bank.

It had advised Tonga could not afford such an increase.

Radio Tonga reports the minister has told local media the rise was calculated by the Public Service Commission, without input from his ministry.

But he says the government will try to ensure that it collects the amount of money needed.

Mr 'Akolo says to meet the five percent due from next month the government needs another US$1.3 million in income or to substantially cut costs in other areas.

A second five percent COLA is scheduled for the second half of next...

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, Dec. 31, 2013) – A re-elected MP in the autonomous Papua New Guinea province of Bougainville, Thomas Keriri, says the government has to address issues around marijuana growing and homebrew in the villages.

Mr Keriri, who was re-elected in the Rau by-election earlier this month, joined other new MPs in making his maiden speech in the ABG legislature this week.

New Dawn FM reports him saying that with poor returns from cocoa and copra people are resorting to illicit drugs and this must be addressed.

The new member for Peit, on the west coast of Buka island, Jerome Tsimoli Sawa, says there have to be changes in his electorate.

Calling it the last frontier, he told parliament Peit had been without a strong leader for a long time and this meant it had fallen behind other electorates on Bougainville.

PORT VILA, Vanuatu (Vanuatu Daily Post, Dec. 31, 2013) – The new addition to the local passenger and cargo shipping services, the Vanuatu Ferry, is now due to arrive in the country in January 2014.

According to earlier media report, the roll-on-roll-off (RORO) vessel was due to arrive here in mid-December or January. Now the Acting Principal Licensing Officer, Captain Kembro Matheson, has confirmed the vessel will leave Pape’ete in Tahiti on January 6 on a voyage to Port Vila that will take approximately two weeks.

The eventual departure of the Vanuatu Ferry from Tahiti for Vanuatu has been certified by Vanuatu Ports and Harbors’ Captain John Nasak, the inspector and licensing officer, who visited Pape’ete early this month to carry out the second and final inspection of the vessel and to approve its departure to join the Vanuatu shipping sector.

PORT VILA, Vanuatu (Vanuatu Daily Post, Dec. 31, 2013) – The decision to hold the Port Vila Municipal Elections during the festive season may have a drastic effect on its outcome as many of the residents of Vanuatu’s capital are away holidaying in the islands and many voters are still in the festive mood.

But the date of January 7 for elections cannot be moved as it is the maximum limit for an election to be held in Port Vila after the dissolution of the Port Vila Municipality in October this year.

The registered voters of the Constituency of Port Vila of 22,308 in 2012 has been reduced because huge town suburbs of Port Vila, like Beverly Hills, Blacksands, Man Ples, and End blong Eapot and Etas areas that had a choice of voting in Port Vila or for the Efate constituency in 2012 are not included in the Municipal boundary.

HAGÃ TÃA, Guam (Marianas Business Journal, Dec. 30, 2013) – Come January, new signage laws may either help or hinder the ability of local businesses on Guam to utilize outdoor advertising to draw in business. The Guam signage law regulating the size and location of signs has not been updated for more than 50 years and has drawn the attention of Sen. Michael T. Limtiaco, who is drafting legislation to enable the Department of Public Works to enforce signage laws.

"If you take the current sign law and apply it to many of the signs you see, many people are not in compliance. They are violating the law," Limtiaco said.

According to Guam's laws on sign regulation, which can be found in Title 21, Part 5, of the Guam Code Annotated, outdoor signs should only take up 10% of a wall or structure and should be no larger than 40 square feet or 12 feet high. In addition, signs should be non-...

Pacific Islands Report is a nonprofit news publication of the Pacific Islands Development Program at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. Offered as a free service to readers, PIR provides an edited digest of news, commentary and analysis from across the Pacific Islands region, Monday - Friday.